Guys and girls, have you ever wondered where our aircraft come from? Hmm, you don't say. They all seem to pop out from somewhere about twice a month in AirAsia. As pretty as these aircraft are, the city that these beauties hail from is one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in France.

Toulouse is a fairly large city, with a little over a million inhabitants. It is the fourth largest city in France, with a rich history behind its creation as well as housing Europe's most advanced defence and space centers.

I had the privilege of undergoing some training there, and my first impression of the river that runs through it is this.

Oh did I mention the french still use river transportation? Matter of fact, they use this river to transport aircraft parts! How neat. Frees up the highway for them cars, eh? The folks at Airbus were nice enough to give me a tour of their largest aircraft in production: the A380. Unfortunately, I don't think I'd be releasing pictures of the manufacturing plant though. Then they'd have to kill me. I'd give a small peek though, heheh. Below is an almost completed A380 aircraft, minus the livery on the fuselage.

During the weekends, I followed the class on a little field-trip courtesy of Airbus. The first weekend was a shopping trip to a country called Andorra. The breathtaking view of the mountains complemented the equally breathtaking cheap prices of otherwise expensive merchandise such as designer clothing and tobacco products. Cigar enthusiasts, this place is a must!

The weekend after, we went to this really, really old citadel that goes by the name Carcassonne. Citadel, by definition, is a fully functional city enclosed within massive fortified walls. This castle perfectly fits the description. Random fact: they filmed "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves" here.

Of course, what good is a weekend without the nightlife? Friday nights are full of loud, explosive music. My classmates and I would drop by the clubs and stay there until morning. A particular spot is Bodega, a restaurant/bar that magically transforms into a discotheque after 11pm. An acquaintance even said this to me once, and I concur: it is a SIN to come to Toulouse and not visit Bodega. The Europeans taught me that you can enjoy music without even having to understand the lyrics!

A living example is Paulina Rubio - Ni Una Sola Palabra. I just love the melody and rhythm. Her video clip is a little wacky, though. heheh.

I'd really love to share more pictures, but 6 is all I got for y'all at the moment. Ciaoz =)